For millions of longtime undocumented immigrants, “doing it the right way” may not be an option. Immigration attorney Robert Coughlon, Jr., says a central problem with America’s immigration system is that the law itself can prevent people who have lived and worked in the United States for decades from obtaining legal status, even when they want to follow the rules.
In his new book, “Fixing Immigration in America: A Common Sense Plan for Immigration Reform,” Coughlon draws on more than 30 years of immigration law experience to propose a different approach: change the law to create an earned legal pathway for longtime residents while strengthening border security, reforming enforcement and immigration courts, and protecting the workforce essential to the nation’s economy.
“Millions of long-term immigrant residents are already living in our communities, doing essential work in agriculture, construction, healthcare and manufacturing,” Coughlon said. “Allowing these experienced workers to stay and contribute legally is not just practical, it is an economic necessity for national prosperity.”
Fixing Immigration in America offers workable solutions, including:
• Registry reform: Coughlon proposes updating a largely forgotten legal tool, Section 249, to create an earned path to legal status for peaceful, long-term residents.
• Independent immigration courts: The book argues for moving immigration judges out of Executive Branch control to restore judicial independence and address massive court backlogs.
• Targeted civil law enforcement: Coughlon proposes ICE reforms designed to restore agency integrity, establish a strict “50-mile rule” to prevent profiling and keep federal agents focused on serious transnational crime.
• Modernized border security: The book advocates deploying 100% non-intrusive inspection technology at ports of entry to help prevent drug trafficking.
• Economic realities: Coughlon examines how legal workforce channels could protect American agriculture, residential construction and national fiscal stability.
Written in clear, understandable language, yet packed with concrete legislative proposals for lawmakers, this book gives everyday Americans a straightforward guide to understanding the immigration crisis and the legislative changes Coughlon believes could help solve it.
Ira Kurzban, past national President and former General Counsel of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, calls the book “an important contribution to the discussion of immigration reform.”
Fixing Immigration in America: A Common Sense Plan for Immigration Reform
Publisher: Lucky 23 Media, LLC
Release date: Sept. 15, 2026
ISBN: 979-8995952411
Available here.